Trudeau says he is 'really excited' about Olivia Chow's election win

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says that he is “really excited” with the prospect of having a “strong progressive as mayor of Toronto” following Olivia Chow’s byelection win.

The former NDP MPP was elected with roughly 37 per cent of the vote on Monday, beating former deputy mayor Ana Bailão by about 34,000 votes in a race that was closer than many polls predicted.

Speaking with reporters during an announcement in Mississauga on Wednesday, Trudeau said that he believes that he has been able to work well with Progressive Conservative Premier Doug Ford “despite difference of political parties.”

But he said that having “a strong progressive partner for Canada’s biggest city” in Chow “is a good thing.”

Chow, it should be noted, would essentially become Toronto’s first left-of-centre mayor in more than a dozen years once she takes the declaration of office on July 12.

“I know she will be a real partner on a lot of things we agree on, whether it is standing up for minorities and fundamental freedoms, whether it is women’s rights or LGBTQ2S+ rights or whether it is investing massively in housing and in accelerating the processes so we can solve the very real challenges so many people in the GTA and indeed around the country are facing on housing,” Trudeau said.

Trudeau spoke with Chow over the phone on Tuesday night and told reporters that he chose to “very much emphasize” the work that they can accomplish together on housing.

Chow, for her part, campaigned on building 25,000 rent-controlled homes over eight years on city-owned land, an initiative that would require a significant federal investment.

“The federal government has some tools we can deploy but it is best for us to work in partnership with municipalities and the provinces to deliver on housing and I know that is an area Premier Ford has talked about doing more in and certainly in my congratulatory call to Mayor Chow last night I was very much emphasising the work we can do on housing but also on transit, on mental health and on so many things that matter very much to the people of Toronto,” Trudeau said.

“There is lots do and there will be lots of robust conversations across levels of government but having a strong progressive partner for Canada’s biggest city is a good thing.”

Trudeau expressed a willingness to work with Toronto on a number of issues on Wednesday but did indicate that the federal government is unlikely to provide funding to help offset the city’s $1.5 billion COVID-19 shortfall, given the “importance of fiscal responsibility.”

Instead, he said that making the city whole should fall to the province which he said has the “need and the means to continue to invest significantly in cities.”

“Certainly that is a conversation I had with Olivia last night and will continue to work on.”